As a virtual feline, I didn't take sides in the Scottish independence question decided last Thursday. Scotland's people, aged 16 and up,
voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. After the vote, Prime Minister David Cameron announced in his official
statement that the promised work toward a new devolution settlement--with increased powers for the Scottish Parliament--will soon be underway. He also advocated working toward increased legislative powers for Wales, Northern Ireland, and England over matters of taxation, spending, and welfare in their respective parts of the UK.
A brief
list of the issues ("devolved matters") over which Scotland already enjoys legislative power, and those "reserved" to the UK Parliament in London, is posted on the
Scottish Parliament web site.
This site is also a good source for current, previous, and enacted Scottish Parliament
bills since 1999, the year after passage of the
Scotland Act (1998) that established the current Scottish Parliament and Executive. A colorful slide show illustrates the
history of Scotland's parliaments from 1235 to the present day.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat
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